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MUMBAI:
Three years back sports marketing firm Total Sports Asia (TSA)
kicked off operations in India. Over time it has grown from
selling television rights to properties like World Wrestling
Entertainment (WWE) to also organising events like the ceremonies
for the Military Games. It is looking to branch out to other
sports like cricket, golf, squash.
Shedding
light on how the firm has evolved, TSA MD - Indian Subcontinent
and the Middle East Navneet Sharma says, "Its been a
road well travelled to borrow a phrase. We, as an organisation
and team have been through the regular learning curves which
are associated with a start up company.
"We
started three years back from a small hotel room and now have
a fully loaded office in Nariman point, Mumbai with a team
of over 12 experienced and a highly creative, innovative team.
Our main revenue streams come from a diverse range of business
areas such as television and new media distribution, Event
management and rights management and sponsorship sales, Licensing
and Celebrity representation across sports and entertainment."
He
adds that the firm has been able to reach across a large segment
of corporates, federations, artists and players, and stake
holders with our propositions and in plenty of cases been
able to execute contracts with them. "Our intent is to
become the leading integrated sports and enetertainment company
in India and Middle East within the next 3-5 years."
One
area that TSA is looking to expand in is organising large
scale eevnts. Sharma says that winning the tenders of the
Military World Games, 2007 at Hyderabad, Opening and Closing
ceremonies as also the tender for the Oath taking and Au reviour
ceremony in Mumbai have been highlights on the entertainment
side of business. "These winnings also open doors for
the group as a whole to bid for future large scale games in
Asia and Middle East."
In
terms of selling television rights Sharma says that some of
the deals that were recently executed are - Disney (Jetix)
on WWE 24/7, BWF World Championships (Badminton), AVP beach
volley ball and Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana (football)
all with Neo Sports. It also did a two-year mobile content
deal in motor sports (F1) with Phoney Tunes.
In
terms of being associated with sports, apart from selling
rights, it has also organised events like the soccer event
Futsal. "The Fusal event is one initiative that we plan
to pursue again next year and spread it across the younger
categories throughout the main centers in India. Baichung
Bhutia, whom TSA exclusively represents, will be central and
key to all the properties that we create in football.
"We
are making the Himalayan Adventure Challenge much larger this
year in terms of participation and prize and feel this pioneering
events within the adventure sports arena promotes health and
we see this event becoming bigger every year."
Sharma
says that TSA is looking to get into cricket as well. "Cricket
is something that one can never ignore while operating in
India. We may look at the player representation side of business
as well as marketing led opportunities wherein the Indian
team at large is associated. We are also looking at Golf and
Squash as sports wherein we create innovative properties across
regions."
More
than just Sport: TSA is also looking to move beyond sports
in terms of organising events. Entertainment is a key area
for it. It recently signed up Indian classical pianist Timothy
Marthand who performs. "This kind of music genre appeals
to a specific audience and we would like to take Timothy's
talent and showcase as well as share it with both the Indian
market and International market.
"In
the past we have executed innovation fashion led events such
as Shoppers stop fashion week ends across Banglore and Pune
and the GJEPC (Gems and Jewellery Export promotion council)
award''s ceremony. Typically Total Sport Asia goes for the
Blue Ocean Strategy as opposed to the Red ocean strategy wherein
the pie keeps getting shared."
In
terms of taking properties to the next level TSA has plans
on the fashion front. This involves a property which combines
elements of fashion and networking within the industry and
music.
On
the music front, Sharma says that there is the possibility
that the firm will look at signing up with a band for a representation
deal, as also look at bringing in international artists utilising
its international office's network to the maximum.
In
terms of progress being made in Dubai, he notes that the Middle
East is very similar to India in many ways (subcontinent population
is a large proportion of the expat population there) and hence
Bollywood (films and Music and Fashion) are natural synergies.
In terms of sports events, the scale is extremely large there
and it takes a bit of time to network and execute deals.
"We
are looking at Golf and are also the marketing agents for
the Dubai Polo and Equesterian club.Football is big in Middle
East and hence that will be a focus area for us as well.
"We
are working on a family entertainment theme event called the
Dino's Alive. This is a travelling theme park of the Dinosours
that appeared in the Jurrasic Park movie. The intent
is to bring this only of its kind teme park in the world to
India in the very near future as well. Some of the robotic
Dinosours are well over 13 meters in height and 20 meters
in length."
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